Another Victory!!!

You know, I'm of Peace Corps ilk, so I am really okay with the notion of "one at a time..." when it comes to behavior change...super okay with it. So earlier I posted about the guy who was being so argumentative with me (the Spinning® instructor and my partner the Run/Swim coach in the IronMan training program we have going on...) He is still a little head strong about training hard, but I wanted to share with you an email I just got...
First the back ground - In this IronMan package deal there are 8 clients who have prepaid for 4 weeks of training...I happen to be first up on Mondays at 6am with Spinning. Since it is prepaid, I don't ask for reservations - all the bikes are pre-reserved...but yesterday only 1 guy showed up. For a fleeting moment I though...ugh...I got up this early for one guy?...then in the next heart beat I realized....This could be it! This could be that opportunity to make some sense to him.
He had lost his watch and the only reason he didn't cancel like his 7 other class mates is because he didn't have my phone number - he was nearly despondent about having lost his HRM watch now that he has it all synching and tracking and all that. He was absolutely HOOKed on it....and upon realizing that he was the only one coming said he would go.
I said "NO! saddle up, man...you're here, let's do it..."
Honestly if you asked me what was the best class I ever coached...it would be this one. Here is this guy - we met only about 2 or 3 weeks ago - and he is soooo determined to beat himself up to get fit, running through pain, going against the swim coaching and kicking like his life depends on it, etc etc...on the fast track to injury for sure. He is training for the Long Beach Marathon....I think in May. So Spinning® was a bit of a hard sell for him - he wants to run.
So here I had a choice...let him go or give him the class of a life time...and that is what I did. Even though we are basically still in the aerobic base building phase of a pretty calculated schedule of training, I've built a full schedule which includes climbing and surging... and yesterday was strength. Without too much more detail, I took from the Chi-Running the notion of "start stops" - some false starts to get us in the mind set...and in fact they would be like "hill repeats"....with a different focus, some physical but most mental....
long story short...here is the email he sent:
Cori,
I found my watch! Yea!!! Anyways, after the spinning I didn?t get to measure the speed of my run but this morning I did 5 miles and I was faster on average by 15 seconds per mile!!!!! (of course, with the normal perceived amount of exertion?J)
Thanks! (his name)
What an honor to see this guy, who was a non exerciser about 3 weeks ago transforming before my eyes....
one at a time....I tell ya...one at a time. I am the first to admit I'd LOVE to have a GREAT big studio with 50 bikes and a line of disappointed people who couldn't get in...but woah....the opportunity to work specifically with a client really stokes my fire.
With nutty weather and don't forget when the weather gets good, many leave the studio for the road...it is really an opportunity if you're facing a tiny class...or even just a class of one. Embrace it - the impact will be profound...but know this:
Pick your dedicated purpose (your lesson focus) and stick with it...sometimes classes slip off into just "a good fun sweat..." but the tools you have at hand are there for you to use and to have a small audience, takes the draw of dynamic energy out of the equation. Decide, plan, prepare and deliver....it matters.